I have an amazing album called 'Hymns' by Beth Nielsen Chapman, who recently did a UK tour. I listen to it almost every day just because of the harmonies. She has a really strong voice. My favourite hymn at the minute has to be 'Adoramus Te'. I also listen to Bí Thusa 'mo Shúile a lot and some of Cór Mhuire's songs like 'A Íosa Glan mo Chroí'sa'. Beth's album is just amazing - very similar to Moya in how she came to recording songs that had a special meaning to her (in this case, hymnal) =)

Thank you, Hester, for posting the link...however, I'm 'resting' that Moya interview until after the holidays, as I have her "Christmas" chat posted at the moment. I will repost the September '08 interview after Christmas...it's in that interview she mentions working on the Hymns album. Sorry for any confusion :)

Roibeard, I'm going to move this topic to the Rattlebag as it seems to be more directly related to 'other artists' than Moya - pm me if you need to

No problemo xD

Most of us aren't very religious, some of us are etc.... what hymns do you like? Just for the sound of them?? I'm hoping to hear something funky (well... maybe the wrong word lol) like 'Down by the River to Pray'. And if that's way too un-Moya, it would be amazing to hear Adoramus Te by Beth Nielsen Chapman.

In fact, the hymns led me to discover and appreciate Maíre Brennan music. I'll explain.

HYMNS... Here's a topic very dear to me Of course I love the hymns! With all respect for everybody, I still am wondering how some people can't listen to the hymns. Hymns are to me like some rare perennials, plants that will always bloom year after year and become even stronger as the years go by. The history and the inspirational content behind an hymn lead me to respect, reverence and profound admiration. I've always been convinced ever since I was a child that angels sing the hymns in heaven. I remember when I was a kid, we had the habit to kneele at church during the prayer meetings, and while people were praying, I was browsing through the hymnal pages, reading and singing them in my mind to know if I could still remember their melody.. How funny, isn't it?

Then the age of teens arrived, and as sad as it is, I didn't like them anymore, couldn't grab them. Period. All what I was listening to was pop music: Madonna, Michael Jackson and all singers of the 80's... what a change, isn't it..

Deep inside of me, I knew that there was a huge gap between the hymns and secular music. Still, even though I was a hard fan of pop-rock, no song could catch my senses like the hymns.. There was sumfn deep in there I couldn't get away from.. Impossible. I was raised into the hymns like many of us have. How could I get rid off them?

Ever since I re-committed my life to Christ, this inner taste for the hymns has grown up even deeper, to the point that I started to buy Cd's with Hymns. I think the first one was from Twila Paris: Perennials, songs for the seasons of life.

I was amazed at how her way to sing them could bring my senses into such a peaceful state of mind and reverence before God's presence.

Another great modern cover of the hymns was the "4HIM Hymns: a place of worship" album:

I think no other band could cover the hymns like 4HIM did on this album. Great arrangements and nice tribute to their history.

"New Irish Hymns", with Moya, Joanne Hogg and Margareth Becker.
This one is another great album I've savored and on which Maíre Brennan is singing too. Followed by:

Didn't buy this one yet but have one of its tracks on a compilation, and it's beautiful and catchy.

Have got few others from other bands and artists but the post would never end

At the age of 14, as my grandma was walking down a street in her village, she heard few people singing in a house. She had already heard from her mom not to greet and make friendship with "evangelicals".. We're talking about back to 50 years ago here, in the far away Catholic Sicily.. But the songs those people were singing during their private church service in this little house were too nice and melodic for my grandma to leave... She sat on a stair from outside and kept on listening to one beautiful and life-challenging hymn: Trust and Obey.

My grandma liked this song so much that she came back the day after. It's how she first heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by listening to these great hymns. A few months after, she became a new-born again Christian and started to walk with the Lord, leaving Catholicism with a lot of courage, through the miscontent of her family.

My grandma Josephine, myself and my daughter

Thanks to her, all my family today lives and shares the faith in Jesus. So, how could I not give a personal tribute to these wonderful hymns?

Sorry if I've been long, but I had to explain why I love the hymns...

Calo <><

"Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23)